The return of Art Stage Jakarta promotes Jakarta as a competitive art capital

By
Jasmine Kusumawardani on Aug 16, 2017

Following the success of its debut exhibition in 2016, Art Stage Jakarta recently returned for a weekend full of outstanding art. The exhibition, dubbed “Indonesia’s first premium art fair with international format”, wrapped up just last Sunday after bringing together outstanding Southeast Asian artists and galleries along with art collectors together.

However, the exhibition, which was held at the Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City hotel, was not the only thing that happened last week as Art Stage Jakarta widened up the fairground with an array of exhibitions and art talks. Read on and swipe left for our highlights.

Artists and galleries

Some 60 galleries —36 international and 24 Indonesian—showcased their best artists at the exhibition. This included first-time exhibitors such as Arario Gallery from Korea, ShugoArts, Gallery Tamenega from Japan, Parkview Art Hong Kong, Chalk Horse from Australia, Art:1, as well as Ark Galerie and Sangkring Art Space from Indonesia, while Nadi Gallery, CAN’s Gallery, Gajah Gallery, Sullivan+Strumpf, Wei-Ling Gallery, Galerie Stephanie and Pearl Lam Galleries returned this year. Meanwhile, artists that were showcased included Yayoi Kusama, Oky Rey Montha, Erizal AS, Jumadi Alfi, Pinling Huang, Micah Crandall-Bear, and Bestrizal Besta.

Supporting multi-disciplinary art, Art Stage Jakarta also hosted a special interactive art project by the up-and-coming Indonesian collective Double Deer. Its installations, entitled Transform and Undisplay brought together different elements that revealed the cutting edge of art, science and music.

Special exhibitions

This year, there were two special exhibitions: “Spirit Today” and “Off The Wall: Europe – ASEAN”.

Spirit Today was a young collectors’ show, presenting works from the private collections of five Indonesian collectors: Arif Suherman, Wiyu Wahono, Nicholas Tan, Indra Leonardi and Tom Tandio.

For “Off The Wall: Europe – ASEAN”, as the name suggests, the exhibition featured graffiti artists from two different parts of the world—Europe and Southeast Asia—who come together to present innovative urban art.

Among the participating artists were well-known names from the international urban art scene, such as Seth Globepainter from France, Bates from Denmark, Chekos Art from Italy, Antz from Singapore, Egg Fiasco from the Philippines and Alex Face from Thailand, while Tuyuloveme and Farhan Siki represented Indonesia. Another highlight-worthy point was that the exhibition featured collaboration piece such as a four-by-two-metre piece by Farhan Siki and Chekos Art.

The Art Square

Seeping through the floors of Sheraton Grand Gandaria City, Art Stage Jakarta expanded beyond the fairground with a new section called The Art Square on the atrium of Gandaria City Mall.

As a fair whose mission was to foster the Indonesian art scene, this new section of the Fair offered art institutions, organisations, art groups, young galleries, education centres and non-profit groups an opportunity to participate in an art fair. Among the participants at the inaugural The Art Square were Biennale Yogyakarta, Jakarta Biennale, Nasi Goreng Diplomacy and Papermoon Puppet Theatre.

Art Stage Jakarta Week

Taking the fair to the people outside of the fairground, Art Stage Jakarta created Art Stage Jakarta Week, the first-of-its kind art event in Jakarta that gathered together various activities in one week celebrating the Indonesia’s art scene. Participating organisations included, among others, the Galeri Nasional Indonesia, the Museum MACAN, the Museum Seni Rupa & Keramik, the Art:1 New Museum, the Goethe-Institut Jakarta, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Institut Français d'Indonésie and the Erasmus Huis.

Art Stage Jakarta Week included shows such as an exhibition of artworks from the Presidential Collection of the Republic of Indonesia at the Galeri Nasional Indonesia and the ANIMAMIX Biennale-Jakarta Series: Myth and Science presented by Art:1 New Museum, Dutch Comic & Animation The Next Generation at the Erasmus Huis and art talks such as The FRACs (French Regional Collections of Contemporary Art) at the heart of Cultural Policy and Artistic Creation organised by Institut Français d'Indonésie.

Teater Koma's play on social gaps and post-power syndrome in a nursing home titled 'Warisan' (Inheritance) which ran for 10 days from August 10-20 at vintage playhouse Gedung Kesenian Jakarta is also a part of the Art Stage Jakarta Week.

Art Stage Jakarta Art Award

This year, Art StageJakarta also presented something new to the art field in Indonesia: the Indonesian Award for Authenticity, Leadership, Excellence, Quality, Seriousness in Art (ALEQS), which was initiated by Alex Tedja. There were 13 awards given to individuals, artists and collectors, along with galleries and other art institutions that have added value and contributed to Indonesia’s art scene.

The Best Artist award was presented to Melati Suryodarmo, while the Best Young Artist was won by Aditya Novali. And while Enin Supriyanto was awarded the Best Curator, Best Young Curator was awarded to Grace Samboh. The Best Gallery and Best Young Gallery awards both went to ROH Projects, while the Best Art Institution award went to IVAA (Indonesian Visual Art Archive). The Best Exhibition was presented to 17/71: Goresan Juang Kemerdekan, Pameran Koleksi Seni Rupa Istana Kepresidenan Republik Indonesia, 2–30 Agustus 2016.

Additionally, the Best Collector and Best Young Collector awards went to Haryanto Adikoesoemo and Tom Tandio, respectively, while Best Art Publication award went to Martin Suryajaya. The Life Achievement Awards were presented to Jim Supangkat, Sunaryo and Ir. Ciputra.

As for the Bhinneka Award, a socio-politically significant award whose selection was carried out by six prominent individuals from the art, culture and political sphere, was awarded to Jatiwangi Art Factory for its breakthrough in the exclusivity of contemporary art in Indonesia.

“We all share the same big engagement to foster, support and promote Indonesian art. Therefore, we must do everything to develop and strengthen its scene, its ecosystem. Strong, serious and professional actors and infrastructures are the necessary basis for a success. With this Award, Art Stage Jakarta is truly blazing a trail for Indonesian art at home and abroad,” said Lorenzo Rudolf, Founder and President of Art Stage Jakarta.